Brassieres



June 11, 1957 1...- b'LEARY .BRASSIERES Filed July 1, 1955 Unite This invention has reference to brassieres and more particularly to a type in which pads may be removably fitted in order to provide contour to the breasts.

In many instances, and more particularly in the cases of older women, the breasts tend to flatten or hollow in the upper areas, pearance and destroying the effect of well-rounded breasts. It is therefore desirable, in instances of this kind, to provide means by which the appearance of rounded breasts is obtained and without indicating that pads or other means are being used for attaining that result. It is, in other words, desirable to be able to strategically locate and localize pads of such contour and disposition that the same will tend to fill out the hollows in the upper portions of the breasts, yet without indicating the use or presence of such pads.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a brassiere having breast cups provided with means by which removable pads may be fitted in the upper portions of such cups and which pads will tend to fill the hollows in the upper portions of the breasts and without affecting the normal use of the brassiere at a bust support.

It is an object of the invention to provide a brassiere in which the breast cups will receive and retain a pad in the upper portions thereof without revealing the presence of such pads; to provide a brassiere in which pads of different sizes and shapes may be utilized according to the needs of the individual user; to provide means for detachably affixing the pads in position in the rear of the breast cups, and to best locate such pads to meet the requirements of individuals of different breast contours.

It is another object of the invention to provide a brassiere in which pads of different sizes and shapes can be readily fitted to meet the needs of the individual user. I

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a face view of a portion of a brassiere, looking at the inside of the same and disclosing the novel features of the garment;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a face view of one type of pad adapted for use in the brassiere;

Fig. 4 is a face view of a pad of another shape;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view, showing how a pad employed in the brassiere fills the upper breast hollow, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through a slightly modified construction.

In Fig. l of the drawing is shown a brassiere having breast cups 9 and 10 of generally conventional construction. Secured at the back of the breast cup 9 is an inner piece 1 constituting a lining member for the upper portion only of the cup. The lower edge 3 of the lining thus materially detracting from the ap-.

States Patent 0 member 1 is unsecured to the outer fabric of the cup and said lower edge terminates at substantially the horizontal center line of the cup. The lining member is secured along its upper edges to the upper edges of the cup and is secured at 7 along the vertical seam 16. The lining member so provided, co-operates with the outer fabric of the cup 9 to form an open-bottom pocket 17 in which is inserted a pad 4. Said pad may be composed of any suitable soft material, such as sponge rubber for example, and is of a shape that it fits in and substantially fills the pocket in the cup. It is to be noted that the pad is wholly located upwardly of the lower edge 3 of the lining member and is thus located well above the center, apex or nipple line of the cup 9. Thus, when the brassiere is removed, no portion of the pad is visible since the same is hidden and concealed by the lining member 1.

The pad 4 is maintained in the pocket 17 by any suitable types of fastening means, several forms of which are shown in the drawings. For example, the pad can be provided with snap fastener elements at the points indicated at 5 and 6 and possibly at several other points along its edge, and said fastener elements may engage with complementary fastener elements secured to the inside of the lining member 1. As an alternative, the pad can be maintained in place by closure of the lower end of the pocket, as by fastener elements indicated at 8, which elements are secured to the inside face of the lining member for co-operation with fastener elements attached on a tape and fastened to the inner face of the outer fabric of the breast cup. The second breast cup, or that indicated at 10, is constructed similarly to that shown at 9 and is provided with the pad 4 as described with respect to the cup 9.

From the foregoing, the uses and advantages of the improved brassiere will be readily understood and particularly with Fig. 5 of the drawing in view. Therein is diagrammatically shown a hollow breast 13a, having the upper hollow or cavity 12, which it is desired to roundout or fill by the use of the pad. It will be noted that when a brassiere of the character described is worn, the pad 4- contained in the upper portion of the breast cup will smoothly and evenly fit Within the concavity of the same and fill the same and thus present the appearance of a well-rounded breast. Since the pad is confined t0 the top or hollow upper portion of the breast, it does not impede or interfere with the breast cup in the performance of its breast-supporting function.

The fact is appreciated that the bust hollows or concavities vary with the individual and hence the removability and replacement of the pads in the described structure, enables pads of various sizes, shapes and thicknesses to be used in the brassiere. For example, in Fig. 3 is shown a pad of somewhat triangulated shape, while in Fig. 4 is shown one of substantially half-round formation. It will be apparent that these pads may be made in many and various sizes and shapes to meet individual requirements and to, in each instance, fit the bust conformation of each and supply the required roundness to sagging busts or those possessing upper concavity.

While I have herein suggested that the removable bust pads shall be confined within pockets at the back of the bust cups and shall be concealed by the lining members situated in the cups, it is possible to attach the pads directly and removably to the outer covering of the body of the brassiere. This may be done by snap fastener or other fastening elements 14 detachably engaging complementary fastener elements 15 provided on the inside face of the outer fabric of the brassiere within the breast cups or by other means.

Thus, while I have herein described certain specific forms of pads and means for removably attaching the same Within the breast cups of the brassiere, it will be apparent that the pads, means of fastening the same in place, and other structural features of the invention may be altered without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, having described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

It is to be emphasized that the pads employed in my improved construction are primarily designed to be used in specific localities, namely; for filling hollows above the breast as distinguished from those pads which are designed to extend over and completely cover the breasts and attempt to increase the apparent size thereof. Therefore, in herein referring to pads, I wish to be understood asmeaning those which fill the upper hollow only, above the breasts.

What I claim is:

A brassiere having a bust cup formed of outer fabric, an inner fabric piece secured at the rear of the outer fabric in said, bust cup, the inner fabric piece being secured at several of its edges to edges of the bust cup, said inner fabric piece extending over only the upper half portion of the bust cup, leaving the lower half of said cup to consist only of the outer fabric, the lower edge of said inner fabric piece being unattached to the bust cup, a pad inserted between each of said inner fabric piece and its bust cup, said pad being of a shape and size to cause it to be covered and concealed by the inner fabric piece behind which it is positioned, and said pad fitting in and filling out a hollow in the upper breast portion of the wearer, and said pad being unattached at its upper end and free to find the cavity in the upper side of the bust and provided with fastening means situated near its lower end for attaching it to the outer fabric piece adjacent its lower edge and in position between the outer fabric and inner fabric piece, said fastening means being covered and concealed between the outer and inner fabric pieces, and means for detachably securing the lower edge of the inner fabric piece to the outer fabric.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,082,085 'Keitel Dec. 23, 1913 2,333,434 Middlecotf Nov. 2, 1943 2,657,386 Wolff Nov. 3, 1953 2,704,845 Gluckin Mar. 29, 1955 2,717,602 Radler Sept. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 407,417 Italy Oct, 7, 1944 484,433 Canada July 1, 1952 

